Ron's Finest Hour
by wildcard47
Summary: I'm a collectible, Ron replied coolly. I'm challenging your fame.


**A/N: **This particular story was inspired by the following question from the Bloomsbury chat with JK: "Will we see Harry and his friends having their own history on Chocolate Frog cards?" "Definitely, and Ron will describe this as his finest hour."

The idea for the "Auror's Special" drink came from a story in the Sugar Quill archives, whose name I have forgotten.

**Disclaimer:** In case you're wondering, I don't own Harry Potter. No matter how much I want to.

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In the small kitchen of Grimmauld Place, the clock on the fireplace mantle chimed one o'clock. Harry Potter, the owner and tenant of said house, was sprawled in a nearby chair, sleeping soundly. The past few weeks had been nothing less than exhausting for him. Ginny had given birth to their third child, Lily, less than a month earlier, and the baby was already proving to be quite the handful. James and Al, who were four and two, respectively, continued to be a handful at the best of times. 

Compounded with his intensive work within the Auror Department, Harry had functioned these past few weeks on a mixture of adrenaline and the aptly-named "Auror's Special" – a drink containing coffee, Pepper-Up Potion, and no less than twelve other energy-inducing tonics. So, it was no small wonder when, after Flooing home for lunch, he wound up dozing off in the middle of the kitchen.

His much-needed nap, however, was sadly interrupted as the fireplace roared to life.

"Harry!" someone called. "Harry, wake up!"

Harry sprang into life. "Whasgoinon?" Fumbling for his wand, he didn't realize who the caller was until he blinked the sleep for his eyes and peered more closely at the head in the fireplace.

"Ron?"

"Sorry, mate," Ron began sheepishly. "I would have waited until later, but I just got the news from George--"

"—Alicia had the baby already?" Harry cut in.

"No, no," his friend reassured, "Not yet; she's still pregnant as ever--"

"So why--"

Ron held up a hand. "Hang on, I'm getting to that! Merlin's pants, you're impatient!"

"You forget how pleasant I am after waking up." Harry scowled.

"Remember when George told me about the new Chocolate Frog cards, earlier this year?" Ron continued. "How the company was updating them with newer wizards?"

Harry could recall nothing of the sort. "Okay," he said hesitantly. "And….?"

Ron looked as if Harry had broken six laws by forgetting. "_The new cards came out today!_"

Harry blinked once. Twice. He took a deep breath, trying to be tactful. "If this is still about getting Agrippa…"

Ron let out a good-natured chuckle. "Don't worry, it's not about Agrippa. I promise this batch is more worthwhile. Even Hermione was excited! Mind you, I suspect she helped write them, but that's not the point…"

Harry was still lost. "What _are_ you talking about?"

"Bit slow on the uptake, aren't we?" Ron muttered. "Here, I'll Floo over."

Seconds later, Ron was stepping out of the fireplace with a small, foil-wrapped packet clutched in his hand as if it were a treasure.

"First one out of the box," he breathed, placing the cards gingerly in Harry's hands. "Though George is sending everyone a packet, if he remembers to owl them in time."

Harry prodded the package with his wand, and the paper unwrapped itself and lay in a small pile beside the freshly-opened cards. To his surprise, the card staring up at him was his own. He examined the picture, almost curiously; then turned the card over and began to read:

_Harry Potter first gained acclaim as a baby in 1981, as the only person ever to survive the Killing Curse. The Killing Curse had been cast on him by the dark wizard Voldemort, who continued to persecute Mr. Potter through his later childhood and teenage years. In the spring of 1998, he was able to defeat and kill Voldemort during the "Battle of Hogwarts". Currently, Mr. Potter is Head of the Auror Division; his rigorous acceptance standards and training programs have turned out the best-trained Aurors of our era. Mr. Potter is an avid Quidditch fan; his wife, Ginny (neé Weasley), was a celebrated player for the Holyhead Harpies. They have three children._

Harry grinned stupidly down at the last sentence, parental pride overcoming him. Then he paused, "Hang on -- three children? How did they know--?"

"Mate, these are _magical _cards," Ron laughed, clearly enjoying his friend's ignorance in this matter. "They're charmed to change small facts to avoid becoming outdated. Dates and numbers are the only things affected, really." He placed Harry's card aside, "Here, look at these!"

Harry looked over the next few:

_Ron Weasley was instrumental in the defeat of Lord Voldemort, helping Harry Potter destroy the Dark Wizard's Horcruxes from late 1997 through early 1998. After the war, Mr. Weasley worked with his older brother, George, at Weasley's Wizard Wheezes in Diagon Alley. He is currently Mr. Potter's right hand man in the new Auror Division. Mr. Weasley's pastimes include eating good food, telling jokes, cheering for the Cannons and spending time with his many family members. He and his wife, Hermione, have two children._

_Kingsley Shacklebolt (Minister of Magic, 1998 to present) began his Ministry career as an Auror in the late 1980s. In 1995, suspecting that Lord Voldemort had indeed returned to power, Mr. Shacklebolt joined the Order of the Phoenix and rose quickly within its ranks. In the summer of 1997, Mr. Shacklebolt was forced into hiding by a Voldemort-controlled Ministry, due to his participation in the Order as well as his pro-Muggle leanings. A regular correspondent on the wireless program "Potterwatch!", Mr. Shacklebolt gained the support of many in the wizarding community during wartime. At war's end, he was installed as temporary Minister of Magic and has now won two additional terms in office. Minister Shacklebolt enjoys listening to the Weird Sisters, solving crossword puzzles, and, of course, a good Quidditch game._

_Neville Longbottom rose to fame after battling Death Eaters in the Department of Mysteries in 1995. He led the anti-Voldemort rebellion at Hogwarts School during his seventh year, from 1997-98, as leader of "Dumbledore's Army" (affectionately known to its members as the D.A.) During this time, Longbottom withstood personal torture, threats towards his family, and many other hardships to protect younger students from these same evils. Longbottom is best known for killing Voldemort's familiar, Nagini, in the Battle of Hogwarts. It is reputed he pulled the Sword of Gryffindor from the school's Sorting Hat to accomplish this. Mr. Longbottom is currently Professor of Herbology at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. He and his wife, Susan, have been married four years._

Scanning the headings, Harry felt a jolt of pride overcome him as he saw many familiar names: _Hermione Granger, Rubeus Hagrid, Severus Snape…_all of the Weasleys, as well as various members of the Order and the D.A. Many of his former professors were also well-represented.

The last card in the pack, however, surprised him. It was not a normal character card; there was only a simple illustration in place of a photo. Recognizing it, Harry saw it was Dumbledore's grave, sitting in front of a picturesque Hogwarts landscape. He moved to read the inscription on the back.

_In memoriam to all who lost their lives in the Second War against Voldemort (1990-1998.) We are wholly indebted to you. Your courageous sacrifice ensures that the Wizarding world will continue to strive against injustice and will survive for generations to come._

Below the text, a marquee flashed the names of every person who had died fighting Voldemort. Many of the people on this list had been his acquaintances, schoolmates, close friends, or even family (he felt a pang in his chest as _Sirius Black_ scrolled across the banner). There were only a few who he knew by name alone, people like_ Bertha Jorkins_, or _Frank Bryce –_ At this point Harry realized, with a grim epiphany, that Frank Bryce had been a Muggle. The inclusion of Frank's name on this list meant that as many people as possible, whether Muggle or wizard, were finally being given their due.

"This is fantastic," Harry said quietly, weighing the pack in his hand. "Not just the new cards, but…."

"No, I know," Ron agreed. "Means a lot."

They sat in pensive silence for a few moments, until Ron gave somewhat of a chortle.

"Well, you've got competition now, mate; I'm on a Chocolate Frog card."

"What?" Harry retorted. "How does that make you competition?"

"I'm a _collectible_," Ron replied coolly, emphasizing the last word. "I'm challenging your fame."

Harry couldn't help but laugh. "Right, it's all you," he deadpanned. "You're extremely famous."

"Damn right!" Ron grinned, sighing happily. "My finest hour."

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Please read and review -- I'd love and appreciate some feedback! 


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